So there is an earlier version of this piece running around. I sent that version to Oliver Wang (soul-sides.com) he sent back a critique that has lead to this revised version of “The RZA Blog.”
On Tuesday Dec. 11 2007 I opened for The Rza.
In the days leading up to this gig I was filled with unprecedented anticipation and anxiety, a combination that I imagine is only found when standing directly in the shadow of one’s predominant influence. More than any other artist The Rza shaped my “definition of dope.” His work as the leader and producer of The Wu-Tang Clan is responsible for the aesthetic that I attempt to honor in my own music.
In the two months since the gig I have made a handful of attempts to write about my experience. The thrill of sharing a marquee with an artist that I can safely call a hero should supply enough material for me give you a decent read. However, each time I have sat down to collect the details of the night into a narrative it has snowballed into something much bigger. A simple recounting of one of the more exciting nights in my rap career has become a study in artistic procreation. It has led me to examine how I fit into hip-hop’s lineage through the lenses of history, appropriation, inheritance and influence. (more…)
These days Hip Hop seems to be divided into many different groups, the biggest two being the golden era boom bapper’s who are scared to like anything that might make them look like a pussy, and the “progressive” crowd who never listened Boot Camp Clik and will argue that Lil Wayne isn’t dope. What group do I associate with you ask? Its simple, if you watch this video and don’t think it’s fucking awesome then I hate you and your family, that’s what group I’m in. If you don’t enjoy this video, first realize that you are a major dickweed, then secondly ask yourself why. Is it too “no homo”? Did he “sell out”? Is it too “mainstream”? Does it not make you look like a “tough guy”? Is it not gloomy and vulnerable sounding enough? Is this a ridiculous and redundant rant? Yes, most likely. Short story even longer, this video is so in the future that it’s 20 years in the past. Snoop is such a boss that he can be a pimp/active gang member/murderer and still pull this off. I don’t know about you, but I love it.
So I got into this whole thing with one of the opening acts at this weekends Too $hort show regarding the whole idea of “Pay to Play”. Those of you unfamiliar with the terminology I’ll break it down real quick. Bands/Acts get a set amount of tickets to sell.. they sell em’ and turn in the money for the tickets sold. Some promoters give the bands excess tickets to work with so they can make profits. I use quotes around pay to play because pay to play only exists for acts with no draw..meaning, nobody gives a shit about your group or your fucking shit ass music! I mean really, if you and your band can’t get 30 people out to a show…you should probably quit. (more…)
Comics. I buy ‘em. I read ‘em. And then I forget ‘em. Not always. But often enough that I wonder whether it’s all worth it. Lord knows not every book is a classic. When each weekly book is as good as Watchmen, say, I’ll expect us all to be wearing harps and halos (if you know what I mean). I’m always thinking about cutting back, except…except reading the weeklies (as opposed to trade-waiting, ferinstance) is like watching a soap opera. You get hooked on the “what happens next” aspect. And for those of you who think soap operas are, shall we say, swishy–well, you better stop watching Lost before you start to sashay, my friend. We all like high-quality episodic material. But most comics (and TV shows, etc.) aren’t that. I watch Lost, but I don’t watch Passions. I try to weed out the duds and concentrate on the good stuff. But do I do the same with comics?
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A while back the Rec-Leaguers took part in the video shoot for our cohort Ashkon and his song “Hot Tubbin’ (On The Late Night(yaddidimean))” It was a grueling process and I have yet to see the final project. However our buddy JT was rolling his camera the whole time and made quite an impressive behind the scenes short… check it out!
OK, I know what you’re thinking. The title of this post is a clever ruse, it has a double meaning, it needs to be taken at more than face value. Because, clearly, it can’t be true. There has to be a twist, a hook, a catch. It can’t possibly be the case that yours truly, Grip Grand, has somehow slipped out of obscurity and into the wider cultural continuum of hip-hop, his voice sampled by one of the genre’s maddest (and most obsessively collected) scientists…can it? Can it??!!
Another week, another stack. The comics never stop. And what would I do if they did? Best not to think about it. So without further ado, here’s what I thought of last week’s stuff, followed by what I’m looking forward to for this week.
